Feds Tell Court Pot Still as Dangerous as Heroin

Despite the progress marijuana made with the federal government in 2014, including the elimination of DEA funds that allow the interference with medical marijuana states and the freedom for Native Americans to cultivate and distribute recreational ganja on tribal lands, the Obama Administration still refuses to admit that weed is less harmful than heroin. Earlier last week, the president sent one of his suited cronies to provide testimony before a federal judge in California, where he stated that marijuana remains, at least in the eyes of Uncle Sam, a dangerous drug with no medicinal value.

For months, marijuana enthusiasts have waited on bended knee to hear the verdict of a federal case, which could lead to cannabis being reclassified in the United States. Justice Kimberly Mueller was given the task in late October to hear an appeals case involving several men charged with cultivating marijuana on federal land. The defense argues that prosecuting these men was a breach of the constitution, based on its belief that “marijuana does not fit the criteria of a Schedule I Controlled Substance,” and the charges should be dismissed. If Judge Mueller rules in favor of the defendants, that outcome would undoubtedly set into motion a chain of events that would certainly force the federal government to reconsider its position on cannabis plant.

It is perhaps for this reason that Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Broderick showed up in Sacramento on behalf of the Justice Department last Wednesday and delivered a dose of rotten testimony aimed at persuading the judge that marijuana was deserving of its Schedule I classification because it has no medicinal benefit and it is highly abused. In his written testimony, Broderick said that although there is some dispute in regards to whether marijuana is medicine, the federal government has uncovered no significant evidence that proves the drug is safe, even under the guidance of a medical professional.

“This psychoactive, addictive drug is not accepted as safe for medical use at this time, even with medical supervision,” wrote Broderick.

This is an interesting claim, especially considering that President Obama said over a decade ago that the War on Drugs is “an utter failure,” and just last year he told The New Yorker that he did not believe marijuana was any more dangerous than alcohol. Even the head cheese at the U.S. Department of Justice, Eric Holder stated prior to his resignation announcement that it has become necessary to consider removing marijuana from its Schedule I classification of the Controlled Substance Act.

“I think it’s certainly a question that we need to ask ourselves—whether or not marijuana is as serious a drug as is heroin, especially given what we’ve seen recently with regard to heroin, the progression of people using opioids to heroin use, the spread and the destruction that heroin has perpetrated all around our country, and to see, by contrast, what the impact is of marijuana use,” said Holder during an interview with Katie Couric. “Now, it can be destructive, you know, if used in certain ways. But the question of whether or not they should be in the same category is something that I think we need to ask ourselves, and use science as the basis for making that determination.”

In addition, Congress recently passed a federal spending bill, which was signed just two-weeks ago by President Obama, that prohibits the Drug Enforcement Administration from using funds to interfere with state medical marijuana laws during this fiscal year. If what Assistant U.S. Attorney Broderick says is true, and marijuana truly does not have any medicinal benefit, then how can Congress justify protecting the medical marijuana community from the wrath of federal prosecution? This is the point attorney Zena Gilg, who is representing the seven defendants, attempted to make in contrast to Broderick’s hypocritical testimony.

Congress cannot “justify a finding that marijuana has no medical benefits while demanding that the distribution of medical marijuana be protected from federal government interference,” wrote Gilig in her statement for the defense.

Judge Mueller ordered the two written statements because she felt there was testimony presented several months ago that did pose the question as to whether marijuana deserved to be classified a Schedule I substance. The defense brought in a team of experts who provided the judge with “new scientific and medical information” to show the reasons cannabis should be removed from this classification, while federal prosecutors offered their own expert witness – a professor of psychobiology at Harvard University and one time representative for the Office of National Drug Control under the George W. Bush Administration.

So, what happens next? Well, Judge Mueller is expected to continue this motion in the next courtroom hearing scheduled for the beginning of February. Although it is not known, the extent of the upcoming hearing, or just how long it will take to deliberate the case, there is a possibility the verdict will go in favor of the defense. However, if this happens, it will not be the golden salvation for pot enthusiasts across the nation as several reports speculate it could be. This is because the case simply questions the Schedule I classification of marijuana, and in no way argues against the evils of prohibition. Unfortunately, even if the ruling in this matter did force the federal government to downgrade the classification of cannabis to a Schedule II or III, it would change nothing in regards to its legal status in the United States. Remember, cocaine is Schedule II and people caught in possession are still being sent to prison.

The most likely scenario is that Judge Mueller will find that while marijuana does not meet the criteria of a Schedule I substance, its listing under the Controlled Substance Act does not carry in weight in relation to the crimes committed by the seven defendants. A ruling of this nature, while somewhat positive, would not have any impact on the reclassification of cannabis.

What do you think? Should the federal government reclassify cannabis? Let us know in the comments below.

18 Comments

scottie demarse

January 21, 2015 at 11:09 pm

of course it should be legalized and at a minimum reclassified its a schedule one controlled substance but at the same time “leads” to harder drugs “gateway drug” if cocaine is a schedule 2 and is more harmful to the body than marijuana how can pot be considered worse? the sad truth is that the pharma companies CANT compete with the use of marijuana and thats where the money is what we need is a national vote on the legalization of weed ganja the sweet mary jane ive never voted a day in my life so is true for a handful of the country imagine though how many supporters of pot are out there? if we did all have a national vote like the presidential election we could put an end to this prohibiton and get to smoking the grass like we already do we just wont have to be worried we will be going to jail for doing it in this country should we really be worried about jail time for enjoying a plant for the “high” for the actual medical values it provides we can become a stress free society of higher thinking the uses are endless my only question is why do we need to be worried in our own home LET THE PEOPLE SPEAK #legalizeit

us6630507. Did the judge learn of this patent number and who owns the patent?
What about us0059018? This one owned by GW Pharma awarded by our government since that is an American patent number.
us4189491? An older patent that’s been around for a while.

I think it should be legalized and let the people use it as a mood-stabalizing, pain-relieving medicinal plant that it was meant to be!!! I suffer from arthritis and chronic depression and also P.T.S.D. and let me tell you, without marijuana, I would probably become a statistic. Life is the hardest part of living….if that makes any sense at all. We all have to do it, unless you want to pay the ultimate price.

Remove this plant from all classifications of drugs. Our bodies produce thc, and endocannabidiols, for a reason. Proven to stop tumor growth, of many cancers.
But if legalized, big pharma will lose money when cancer rates drop. Thats why it is still illegal.

The thing that gets me is you have never heard of a case where someone has died from a overdose on cannabis but you have heard many cases of cocaine and heroin killing people from them overdosing but yet on still they keep it as a deadly controlled substance but yet they still sell alcohol something far worse than cannabis they just hate to see stoners having a harmless grade a smoke I say they take the s*#t that’s killing us and replace it with some good old cannabis the same plant that they say has no needful/medical benefits, but I no and they no that’s not he case so I say fuck them guys and keep token

This is all a hoax. It’s politics, we all know they are going to legalize the damn drug. Like they legalized alcohol and other destructive drugs in the past. The question is when? I’ll tell you when. When they have full control of the market and all its profits. If they legalize it now, they’ll be individuals like myself the will immidiately maximize my profits.

I’ve been smoking it for the past 10 years, and I’m taking good care of my kid and my wife. I have obtained my degree in Bachelor of Clinical medical practice in 2011 and my post graduate diploma in HIV/AIDs management while using it. It has a great impact in some people’s body but I won’t advise young people below the age of 21 years old to smoke because it is not good. Legalise it to people who are doing good and who can control the side effects of it.

This is another example of the federal government teeing to talk out of both sides of their faces. The federal government is right now shopping for a new farm to grow government weed. Now the University of Mississippi has been growing it for the government for about 40 years. They have studied the crap out of it and know, like everyone else, that its a good medicine for some and just plain din for others. They can’t and won’t stop it. The idiots tried that with booze and everyone knows booze is worse than pot by a mile, and we see how that worked out! ! This is typical bullshit. Fuck them all! !!

It should be legalized.It is painfully obvious that there is a not so well hidden agenda as to why it is still schedule 1. Lobbyists and Big Pharma comes to mind.I am focusing my attention to any political platform or candidate in California that will support the legalization in all upcoming elections.

They should allow us to medically treat ourselves with this wonder medicine. If we the people have studies and prove that it works then Why is it still illegal. Are the people in charge restraining because of a good reason or are they doing it for the money.

YES! For 1 main reason (and a billion others!) the main reason being…. RESEARCH!!!! No one can research this most valuable substance, resource, medicine – LEGALLY without the government acknowledging how wrong they’ve been the past 80+ years, while keeping this ‘gold-mine’ out of the publics hands!

This prohibition isn’t about “safety” or public concerns…. NO! It’s about cold hard cash and the amount of fake, phony industries that will collapse beneath the might of Cannabis, because this plant is extremely versatile! AND IT GROWS, KUST ABOUT EVERYWHERE!!! How can corrupt corporate Amerca, profit off something that anyone can grow in their backyard?!

Exactly!!!

once they loosen the ridiculous grip on the “marihuana” schedule-1 classification… A whole new industry will flood the market with products design not only to improve daily living, but reduce COST$… and the “R-word” always seems to scare (reduction) certain ‘people’, because they never were taught how to share with others :/

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. Legalize